Today (25th april) here in Australia is Anzac day (something like veterans day in USA).

I was looking through some photos I took in 2002 of the Anzac march in my home town. An American ship was in port here on the day and joined our march, there is also a US ship in port in the capital city of my state today, watching them on TV right now as they have joined the city march.

these photos were some of the first I took with my 1.3 megapixel canon camera. My first digital photos at the time. Im posting them in rememberance of all the soldiers lost around the world in war.

Thank you, Aladyforty, for the photos you have posted and to
you, Onyx, for remembering those who died in service to their
country in defence of freedom.

Many years ago, it was my privelege to visit Australia and
New Zealand during the year of the OZ Bicentennial.

One of the sobering, moving moments of my travels was when
I toured the War Museum in Canberra.

In quiet contrast, in quaint, "little" Queenstown, NZ there is a modest memorial to all from this beautiful town who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

In desperate early days of fighting on two fronts, America
depended greatly on Australia.

In the Solomon Islands, where the legend of the PT109 is
immortalized, much of the on-the-ground Allied intelligence was
collected and then transmitted by Australian Coast Watchers
at their great peril. Many of them paid the ultimate sacrifice.

As the Phillpines fell, Gen. McCarthur was ordered to leave.
He left by PT boat...destination Australia...where sanctuary
was available.

Australia's major ports served the US Navy admirably in WWII.

After WWII, a New Zealander quietly returned to his sheep
farm. He was offered quite a sizable fund in recognition of
his extraordinary war service. He turned it down and indicated
it should be used for scholarships for children of soldiers
who had died.

He was decorated with the Victoria Cross with bar. Like the
Medal of Honor in the USA, it is the highest decoration that
could be awarded. His heroics, his dedication to his men
and his will to never, never, never give up is commemorated
in a book entitled, "The Mark of the Lion."

digcamfan, you may be intersted in this recent story involving our SAS troops and the Americans in Afganistan and Iraq. I only heard about it yesterday. We never hear much about our SAS troops even if they win a medal as SAS while they are serving in our armed forces never show their identity. The guy in this story must be no longer in the force.

This little bit of the transcript is a piece I love, it shows the respect between the USA and Aussie soldiers, I guess whatever your views are on the war, you cant help but be proud of the way these young men and woman conduct themselves.

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LT GEN FRANK HAGENBECK: I tell you, I would not have wanted to do that operation without the Australian SAS's folks on that ridge line. I mean, they made it happen that day.

ROSS COULTHART: Seven Americans were killed during the 17-hour attack. When the Australians finally got back to the coalition base, word of what they'd done had already got around.

JOHN, SAS PATROL MEMBER: It was almost embarrassing, to the point where the Americans were so glad of our help. You know, you may go to a meal night in a mess, there might be a hundred people in front of you, all Americans, and all of a sudden they would step aside, maybe even applaud, and push you to the front of the line. We were looking pretty wild and woolly, but, um, we were taken aback by it and a bit embarrassed.
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